1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to anti-theft devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to anti-theft devices which have a remote device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A wide variety of vehicle anti-theft systems have been developed and proposed which include a remote device which communicates with the alarm device mounted in a vehicle. Typically, these devices are used with sensors which indicate the status of openings such as doors, ambient noise, and movement. The remote device functions to arm or disarm the alarm from a distance and is a convenience item. A few alarms systems provide a feedback to the remote when a sensor is tripped. This information is of limited value and requires verification by a user. This necessitates the user returning to the vehicle to check the status. What is needed, is a device which indicates on the remote the type of sensor trip and the nature of the cause. This enables the user to provide the proper response sooner. For example a movement sensor trip and a level sensor trip could cause the remote to display a message indicating the vehicle is being towed.
Numerous innovations for vehicle anti-theft and anti-vandalism alarm system have been provided in the prior art that are described as follows. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they differ from the present invention as hereinafter contrasted.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,142, titled Keyless Motor Vehicle Starting System with Anti-theft feature, invented by Chunyan Liu, a keyless motor vehicle starting system to replace a conventional ignition lock and ignition key of a motor vehicle. The system consists of a portable wireless transmitter and a receiver/controller board which is installed deeply inside the motor vehicle behind a steering column cover or cluster cover of the motor vehicle. The portable wireless transmitter has a power-code generator and a starter-code generator and controls a vehicle battery power supply and ON-OFF states of a motor vehicle starter by sending a radio-frequency-modulated power-code and starter code. A novel design is disclosed to avoid having to detect engine-running conditions and avoid using a feed-back-control circuit to de-energize the motor starter.
The patented invention differs from the present invention because the patented invention is a keyless motor vehicle starting system to replace a conventional ignition lock and ignition key of a motor vehicle. The patented invention lacks features similar to the present invention.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,844, titled Vehicle Anti-theft Device, invented by Ricky L. Samford, a vehicle anti-theft device including a portable transmitter for emitting control signals; a tuned receiver mechanism coupleable to a vehicle for receiving the control signals; a first switch having an engaged orientation for preventing a hood of a vehicle from being opened; a second switch having an engaged orientation for preventing flow of fuel from a gas tank to an engine of a vehicle; and a console mechanism coupled to the receiver mechanism and responsive to the received control signals for placing the first and second switches in their engaged orientations upon receipt of control signals.
The patented invention differs from the present invention because the patented invention is a vehicle anti-theft device including a portable transmitter for emitting control signals. The transmitter is hand help and lacks the capability of receiving signals from the vehicle. The present invention is a receiver which display the security status of the vehicle.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,459,448, titled Automotive Continuous Protection Anti-theft System, invented by Christopher J. Dortenzio and Brian H. Twohig, an automotive security device of the type consisting of: (a) a portable unit and (b) a central unit. The portable unit consisting of a transmitter circuit and a pulse duration circuit being capable of transmitting specified signal pulses at periodic intervals over a limited distance. The central unit, which is mounted in the vehicle, consisting of a receiver circuit and an interface circuit being capable of receiving these signals and activating the vehicle electrical system upon receiving said signal and deactivating the vehicle electrical system upon the absence of said signal.
The patented invention differs from the present invention because the patented invention is a vehicle anti-theft device including a portable transmitter for emitting control signals. The transmitter is hand help and lacks the capability of receiving signals from the vehicle. The present invention is a receiver which display the security status of the vehicle. The central unit of the patented invention, which is mounted in the vehicle, consists of a receiver circuit and an interface circuit being capable of receiving these signals and activating the vehicle electrical system upon receiving said signal and deactivating the vehicle electrical system upon the absence of said signal. The central unit lacks the feature transmitting vehicle security status to the remote unit.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,201, titled Anti-theft Devices for Motor Vehicles, invented by Hajime Inubushi, an anti-theft device for a motor vehicle includes in combination an electromagnetic wave receiver, e.g. a cellular telephone, a disabling unit which when energized by the receiver will cause the vehicle's engine to stop running and a portable electromagnetic wave transmitter, e.g., a cellular telephone, capable of emitting a signal receptive by the receiver to effect energizing of the disabling unit. In one embodiment, the disabling unit opens the electrical motor control system to stop the engine. In another embodiment, the disabling unit stops flow of fuel to the engine thereby stopping it.
The patented invention differs from the present invention because the patented invention is a disabling unit, mounted in the vehicle, which when energized by the receiver causing the vehicle's engine to stop running. The present invention is a remote portable vehicle theft alert device which consists of a car alarm having a transmitter which transmits signals received from a processor component. A plurality of sensors. A processing device functioning to process preselected signals from A group of sensors into A specific output signal representative of A preassigned category of sensor trip. (IE: A motion sensor trip would result in A signal indicating the vehicle was moved or sustained impact damage.) The processing device then sends A coded signal to the transmitter where it is transmitted. The present invention includes A receiver device having A housing. The housing contains A receiver which receives A signal from the transmitter and sends the coded signal to A second processor for decoding. A second processor functioning to decode the transmitted signal and prepare A display format which is sent to an indicating device. An indicating device selected from A group consisting of A light source, LCD display module, A plurality of LEDs and audible devices. The indicating device functions to display messages indicating the A status of the vehicle security. The receiver includes A power source which is electrically connected to the processor, indication device and receiver. The present receiver further, includes an attachment means functioning to attach the housing to A person. The novel feature of the present invention is the ability for the user to determine if the vehicle is being broken into, hit by an object and being moved.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,867, titled Vehicle Security Apparatus, invented by Peter J. Stouffer, A vehicle security apparatus includes A portable transmitter generating at least one discrete coded signal. A receiver mounted in the vehicle in response to the first receipt and recognition of A discrete coded signal from the transmitter arms an anti-theft system in the vehicle security apparatus. The anti-theft system includes A starter interrupt which prevents the starting of the vehicle when the anti-theft system is armed and/or alarms, both visual and/or audible, to indicate an attempted access to the vehicle. The receiver is capable of learning one or more codes associated with specific transmitters. A sensor is mounted on the vehicle to detect attempted access to the vehicle. The receiver, when armed and receiving an output from the sensor, activates the starter interrupt and/or the alarm for A predetermined time. The receiver is optionally capable of automatically operating the vehicle door locks, the vehicle hood latch and trunk latches, as well as the inside vehicle lights automatically during the arming and disarming sequences.
The patented invention differs from the present invention because the patented invention is A portable transmitter generating at least one discrete coded signal and A receiver mounted in the vehicle which responds to the first receipt and recognition of A discrete coded signal from the transmitter arms an anti-theft system in the vehicle security apparatus. A sensor is mounted on the vehicle to detect attempted access to the vehicle. The receiver, when armed and receiving an output from the sensor, activates the starter interrupt and/or the alarm for A predetermined time. The vehicle mounted devices lack A transmitting capability.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,940,964, titled Vehicle Control and Theft Deterrent with Remot, invented by Victor Dao, A motor vehicle control system is described having A vehicle control unit located in the motor vehicle and A hand held portable control unit, which are in two-way communication. The vehicle control unit which is located in the motor vehicle includes A receiving antenna, A receiver, A decoder and A plurality of functional control circuits, with each control circuit for A respective functional operation of the motor vehicle such as ignition, starter activation, heater, air conditioner, door locks, etc. The control unit in the motor vehicle also includes A transmitter and A scanner unit which has A like plurality of sensors for sensing the condition of the various functional operations such as the ignition, engine operation, air conditioner status, heater status, etc. The control unit transmits A radio frequency signal to the remote control unit, which indicates the condition of the sensed operations. The remote control unit has an antenna and receiver with an audio amplifier and speaker. The remote unit has A standard key pad in circuit to an encoder to produce A signal that is applied to the transmitter for transmission to the vehicle control unit. In A preferred embodiment, the motor vehicle control unit has A voice synthesizer to generate A voice signal that is transmitted to the remote control unit, and most preferably has A digital voice recorder, permitting the user to customize the unit to repeat any selected message. This is particularly of value to adapt the system for foreign language users.
The patented invention differs from the present invention because the patented invention is A motor vehicle control system having A vehicle control unit located in the motor vehicle and A hand held portable control unit, which are in two-way communication. The control unit in the motor vehicle also includes A transmitter and A scanner unit which has A like plurality of sensors for sensing the condition of the various functional operations such as the ignition, engine operation, air conditioner status, heater status, etc. The control unit transmits A radio frequency signal to the remote control unit, which indicates the condition of the sensed operations. The remote control unit has an antenna and receiver with an audio amplifier and speaker. The remote unit has A standard key pad in circuit to an encoder to produce A signal that is applied to the transmitter for transmission to the vehicle control unit. In A preferred embodiment, the motor vehicle control unit has A voice synthesizer to generate A voice signal that is transmitted to the remote control unit, and most preferably has A digital voice recorder, permitting the user to customize the unit to repeat any selected message. The patented invention has features which are similar to the present invention including the transmission of information from the vehicle to the receiver indicating the status of sensor installed on the vehicle. The present invention is simpler because the hand held unit only receives information. The present invention is unique in that the status information is displayed where as the patented invention the status information uses A voice synthesizer to generate A voice signal that is transmitted to the remote control unit, and most preferably has A digital voice recorder, permitting the user to customize the unit to repeat any selected message.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,733,638, titled Automotive Anti-theft Starting System, invented by Lyle V. Anderson, A security starting system for A motor vehicle is disclosed. The system includes A portable hand-held transmitting device carried in the passenger compartment of the vehicle; by the operator and A receiving device located in the housing of the starter in the engine compartment of the vehicle. An operator desiring to start the vehicle actuates the transmitter. When the receiver detects the transmitted signal, it produces an electrical signal which closes A switch connected in series to the motor vehicle ignition system thereby allowing the ignition switch of the ignition system to start the vehicle.
The patented invention differs from the present invention because the patented invention is A security starting system for A motor vehicle. The patented invention lacks features similar to the present invention.
Numerous innovations for vehicle anti-theft and anti-vandalism alarm system have been provided in the prior art that are adapted to be used. Even though these innovations may be suitable for the specific individual purposes to which they address, they would not be suitable for the purposes of the present invention as heretofore described.